NewSecurityBeat

Underground Lake in Darfur: Fertile Ground for Cooperation or Conflict?

The recent discovery of a vast underground lake in Darfur has prompted hope for a resolution to the region’s terrible conflict, which is partially rooted in tensions over scarce resources—particularly water. Yet the lake is not a silver bullet. First of all, there may not be any water in it. Alain Gachet, a French geologist who has studied mineral and water exploration in Africa for 20 years, told BBC News that he thinks the lake is probably dry.

In addition, as The New York Times astutely observed, it is the way in which natural resources are managed—not simply their scarcity or abundance—that determines whether they further peace or conflict. Time and again, inexpert or corrupt management of plentiful natural resources has plunged nations into violence and poverty, rather than granted them prosperity. In Africa, this “resource curse” has been a regrettably common phenomenon.

An article recently in NATURE declares that “Darfur Lake is a Mirage.” The article is in NATURE|Vol 448|26 July 2007.

The author has interviewed some experts on the issue. Aside from his simplistic dismissal of the role of environmental scarcities as an aggrivating factor in the conflict, the article adds some interesting details that might be of interest to readers.

I appreciate the article’s call for scientists and journalists to be nuanced and prudent– but I’m not sure it meets its own standards. Its portrayal of all regional experts as agreeing that the sole cause of the conflict in Sudan is ethnic is not a particularly cautious or nuanced one.